Meghalaya Education Minister Rakkam A Sangma has urged the Centre to look into the demands for inclusion of the Khasi and Garo languages in the 8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
Sangma said that the inclusion of both the languages in the 8th Schedule is not only a demand by the people, but also their aspiration.
Speaking to Northeast Live, Rakkam A Sangma said, “It is my request to the Government of India also, it has become very important today that the Khasi and Garo language be included in the 8th Schedule. In that process it will really bring our society up, it will help our students perform better in many competitive exams etc. It will certainly improve the standard. May be this is the reason why tribals in Northeast India are not at par with the rest of the country. The Government of India must recognise, must realise that every tribe, every language, every dialect is important. They must look into this issue and see if it can be considered.”
Sangma was unhappy when he said that Garo language has been omitted from the pending list of languages to be included in the 8th Schedule.
He said, “This is for the both Khasi and Garo language, a resolution is already adopted in our Assembly 2 years back. It is our aspiration, our demand that the Khasi and Garo language be recognised under the 8th Schedule of the Constitution. Having said so, if I am not wrong, both the Khasi and Garo language was in the pending list of languages, if I am not wrong Garo was in the 16th and Khasi language in the 18th. But in the latest development, Garo has been omitted or is not there in the pending list anymore. May be due to some reason.”
On October 6, the Khasi Authors’ Society (KAS) had sought a response from the Union Home Ministry regarding the status on inclusion of the Khasi language in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution. Besides, the KAS had also resolved to urge the Centre through the MHA to initiate necessary steps to introduce an official bill in the next session of the Parliament.
Following this, a delegation of the KAS met Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma and apprised him about the demands. It was in this meeting that the CM had assured the delegation, that he would raise the issue with the central leadership.
Read also: Inclusion of Khasi language in 8th Schedule: KAS seeks Home Ministry’s response
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